Temptations
“No temptation will
overtake you expect that which is common to man. And God is faithful; He will never let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But
when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so you can endure it. “ -1
Corinthians 10:13
I was thinking about this verse and started to break it down
a bit in my head. Here is what I found:
“No temptation will overtake you
expect that which is common to man.” This verse basically means, there
isn’t anything that you are going to go through that someone before you hasn’t
been tempted/tested with. You aren’t
alone. Reach out and you might be
surprised by those around you that struggle with similar temptations. We are all in the same boat in one way or the
other.
“And God is faithful”. So, not only are there other people who can
say; “Hey, you have got this. You CAN
beat this temptation. I did and I’m here
as a living testimony”. But you have GOD
almighty telling you that He will faithfully walk you through this. Feeling confident yet? There is more.
“He will never let
you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” What? Wow.
God almighty is not only faithful, but is there making sure you are
thoroughly equipped to handle what is dished out to you. He has hardwired you per se, to handle the
storms that you will/have faced. That
amazes me. Could it be true? That I am strong enough to stand up against
my darkest and fearsome temptations? The
answer is yes.
“But when you are
tempted, He will also provide a way out so you can endure it.” So, you see the temptation before you, now
you know others have been through it too, you know God is faithful, and you
know you are hardwired to handle it. If
all that isn’t enough, He also provides a way out. I have often asked God to provide a way out
of my personal temptations. A physical
portal, maybe, to remove me from the situation.
No, I’m not kidding. This fight
was/is hard. But then I realize, that
Jesus is the way out. He is the way out
of temptation.
John 14:6 Says, “ I
am the WAY, the truth and the life.
I think of trapeze artists that tumble and twirl in the
air. They leap fearlessly from one swing
to the next. Under them is this netting that keeps them from hitting the floor.
He is the netting. When
all else fails, He is the WAY out so that you can endure it.
If He is the WAY out of my temptations, then I am going to
be okay. If I have to run right into
Jesus and that is my way out of temptation, then you better believe I am going
to run. Head on.
What temptation or testing is ailing you today?
Drug, alcohol, gossip, negative thought patterns, financial
troubles, self depravating thoughts, food, pornography or pretty much anything
that parading itself over God is a temptation. A temptation by definition is a desire to do
something, especially something wrong or unwise. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you today. And take heart, because you have a faithful
daddy who is watching you and is making sure you succeed.
Suddenly, my
temptations don’t look so big and scary.
I feel fearless. Don’t’ you?
